• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Disney

Cord Cutting Won’t Kill Disney, Fox, or Time Warner

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 1, 2016, 11:11 AM ET
Michelle Obama And Disney CEO Robert Iger Hold News Conference On Disney's Nutritional Guidelines
Photograph by Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images

Hollywood is far better positioned to survive and thrive as the markets for television and movies evolve online than Wall Street expects, according to a new report from analysts at Morningstar.

Investors have grown concerned that the big producers of movies and TV shows face tough times ahead as the number of subscribers to traditional cable and satellite TV shrink. Younger adults are far less likely to subscribe and even older families are cutting back, as more and more viewership shifts to online entertainment like Netflix (NFLX), Hulu, and Google’s (GOOGL) YouTube.

Now, a host of new Internet-based cable replacement services are arriving from Sony (SNE), Dish Network (DISH), and others.

But Walt Disney, Time Warner, and Twenty-First Century Fox produce enough must-see TV programs and cable channels along with plenty of desirable older content in their libraries that they will be able “to remain relevant to any bundle and to render irrelevant any bundle without them,” the Morningstar report concludes. “We expect the impact of declining traditional bundle subscribers to be largely offset by subscribers to the new bundles over the long run.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

The share prices of big entertainment companies have been extremely volatile over the past year as investors try to assess the winners and losers in the changing video ecosystem. Disney’s (DIS) stock is down 15% over the past year, while shares of Time Warner (TWX) and Twenty-First Century Fox (FOXA) have each lost 16%.

That has left the companies dramatically undervalued, Morningstar says. Disney would have to rise 36% to reach the analysts’ “fair value” for the stock of $134. Time Warner would have to gain 15% to hit its target of $85. Twenty-First Century Fox is 28% undervalued versus its target of $35, the analysts underscored.

To see how Star Wars is aiding Disney, watch:

The report looked at recent events that have demonstrated the value of content produced by the big three studios. Those three and other media firms forced Sony to pay slightly higher fees per subscriber for their channels than cable system owners pay. They also imposed limits on how many subscribers could sign up for packages from Dish’s online service, Sling, that include their channels. Disney largely forced Verizon Communications (VZ) to scale back its discounted cable TV packages on its FiOS service.

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

The Navy confirmed an ‘abundant amount’ of Uncrustables when the Artemis II crew lands. Smucker’s just offered them a lifetime supply
PoliticsFood and drink
The Navy confirmed an ‘abundant amount’ of Uncrustables when the Artemis II crew lands. Smucker’s just offered them a lifetime supply
By Catherina GioinoApril 10, 2026
21 minutes ago
Three people sit behind a desk and look at the phone screen of the person in the middle.
Future of WorkConsulting
Meet ‘trendslop,’ the new, AI-fueled scourge of workplace consultants everywhere
By Sasha RogelbergApril 10, 2026
22 minutes ago
How to get out of debt: 9 proven strategies that actually work
Personal Financedebt relief
How to get out of debt: 9 proven strategies that actually work
By Joseph HostetlerApril 10, 2026
2 hours ago
Alpha Brain Review
HealthDietary Supplements
Alpha Brain Review (2026): Expert Reviewed Nootropic
By Emily PharesApril 10, 2026
2 hours ago
Amazon is still paying Jeff Bezos an $80,000 yearly salary—but $1.6 million for travel and security
Big TechCEO salaries and executive compensation
Amazon is still paying Jeff Bezos an $80,000 yearly salary—but $1.6 million for travel and security
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 10, 2026
2 hours ago
A laptop screen shows World Liberty Financial's website
CryptoCryptocurrency
Trump-backed World Liberty Financial tokens hit all-time low on reports of insider loans
By Jack KubinecApril 10, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
Economy
The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
1 day ago
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
AI
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
2 days ago
Mark Cuban admits he made a mistake letting go of the Mavericks: 'I don't regret selling. I regret who I sold to'
Investing
Mark Cuban admits he made a mistake letting go of the Mavericks: 'I don't regret selling. I regret who I sold to'
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
1 day ago
'I hate working 5 days': Zoom CEO says traditional work schedules are becoming obsolete—and predicts a 3-day workweek by 2031
Success
'I hate working 5 days': Zoom CEO says traditional work schedules are becoming obsolete—and predicts a 3-day workweek by 2031
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
1 day ago
Schools across America are quietly admitting that screens in classrooms made students worse off and are reversing years of tech-first policies
Innovation
Schools across America are quietly admitting that screens in classrooms made students worse off and are reversing years of tech-first policies
By Fortune EditorsApril 10, 2026
14 hours ago
Gen Z doesn't want your full-time job. They want several part-time roles, and it's reshaping the entire workforce
Success
Gen Z doesn't want your full-time job. They want several part-time roles, and it's reshaping the entire workforce
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.